Die blauen Veilchen der Äugelein
         
        
                German source:
                Heinrich Heine
    
    
Die roten Rosen der Wängelein,
Die weißen Liljen der Händchen klein,
Die blühen und blühen noch immerfort,
Und nur das Herzchen ist verdorrt.
            The deep-blue violets of her eyes
         
        
                English translation ©
                Hal Draper
    
    
Red roses of her cheeks’ fair guise,
White lilies of her hands likewise –
These blossom and blossom, and never decay,
And only her heart has withered away.
Translations by Hal Draper published by Oxford University Press and Suhrkamp/Insel Verlag (1984)
            Die blauen Veilchen der Äugelein
            
        
        German source:
        Heinrich Heine
    
    
    The deep-blue violets of her eyes     
        
        English source:
        Hal Draper
    
    
                    Die blauen Veilchen der Äugelein,
                        The deep-blue violets of her eyes,
                                Die roten Rosen der Wängelein,
                        Red roses of her cheeks’ fair guise,
                                Die weißen Liljen der Händchen klein,
                        White lilies of her hands likewise –
                                Die blühen und blühen noch immerfort,
                        These blossom and blossom, and never decay,
                                Und nur das Herzchen ist verdorrt.
                        And only her heart has withered away.
                            
    
Composer
Poet
Heinrich Heine
Heine was born of Jewish parents. Much of his early life was influenced by the financial power of his uncle Salomon Heine, a millionaire Hamburg banker, with whom he remained on an awkward footing for many years. After he had been educated in the…